Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

$19.99 AUD

Category: Australian

'Dark Emu injects a profound authenticity into the conversation about how we Australians understand our continent ... [It is] essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Australia once was, or what it might yet be if we heed the lessons of long and sophisticated human occupation.' Jud ges for 2016 NSW Premier's Literary Awards Dark Emu puts forward an argument for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right across the continent were using domesticated plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating, and storing -- behaviours inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag. Gerritsen and Gammage in their latest books support this premise but Pascoe takes this further and challenges the hunter-gatherer tag as a convenient lie. Almost all the evidence in Dark Emu comes from the records and diaries of the Australian explorers, impeccable sources.   Bruce's comments on his book compared to Gammage's: " My book is about food production, housing construction and clothing, whereas Gammage was interested in the appearance of the country at contact. [Gammage] doesn't contest hunter gatherer labels either, whereas that is at the centre of my argument." ...Show more

Kindred: A Cradle Mountain Love Story by Kate Legge

$44.99 AUD

Category: Australian | Reading Level: 3 Biography

He was an Austrian immigrant; she came from Tasmania. He grew up beside the Carinthian Alps; she climbed mountains when few women dared. Their honeymoon glimpse of Cradle Mountain lit an urge that filled their waking hours. Others might have kept this splendour to themselves, but Gustav Weindorfer and K ate Cowle sensed the significance of a place they sought to share with the world. When they stood on the peak in the heat of January 1910, they imagined a national park for all. Kindred- A Cradle Mountain Love Story traces the achievements of these unconventional adventurers and their fight to preserve the wilderness where they pioneered eco-tourism. Neither lived to see their vision fully realised- the World Heritage listed landscape is now visited by 250,000 people each year. Award-winning journalist Kate Legge tells the remarkable story behind the creation of the Cradle Mountain sanctuary through the characters at its heart. ...Show more

Australia in Focus by Steve Parish (Photographer)

$34.95 AUD

Category: Australian | Series: Australia in focus S.

Australia is an ancient island continent of contrasts and extremes, f rom lush tropical rainforests to the parched deserts of the inland. The continent's diversity of climates, landforms and habitats are home to an array of fauna and flora, many unique to Australia. At sixteen s ites, the natural and cu ltural heritage values are so outstanding that t hey have been inscribed on the World Heritage List. In these, and in nat ional parks and reserves, the country's natural treasures are protected and preserved. These such wonders of Australia are exquisitely captured in Australia in Focus: Australia. ...Show more

Back Roads by Heather Ewart; Karen Michelmore (As told to)

$32.99 AUD

Category: Australian

A road trip around Australia, discovering towns and communities outside the mainstream - and the colourful inhabitants whose grit and humour will uplift and inspire you. Discover the resilient and inspiring people who live outside big Australian cities - and indeed off the beaten track altogether. Defi ned by their strength and humility, these are characters whose grit and good humour will uplift and inspire. Based on the successful series hosted by Heather Ewart, Back Roads dives deeper to learn more about these wonderful communities and deliver fresh and compelling stories. 'They're proud communities like my hometown, full of surprises, fight and spirit', says Heather. Take, for example, Joan Sinclair, 83, horse & cattlewoman and outback legend, who featured in the first episode of series 3. The video of this feisty woman went viral on Facebook and has clocked up 1.3 million views. The show featured a wealth of characters and places, and the book will take you further into their lives. From strong women like Joan Sinclair, Heather Jones of the company Heavy Haulage Girls, and Dianne Reeves, transgender former dairy farmer, shearer and truck driver, to historic places - such as Pine Creek, built on the sweat of Chinese workers, and Maralinga, the only place in the world where you can stand on the site of an atomic bomb test - Back Roads will transport you from your city doorstep and show you what lies beyond in this land of surprise and determination. ...Show more

Humans in Melbourne by CHRIS CINCOTTA

$49.99 AUD

Category: Australian

From the popular Facebook page, Humans In Melbourne, comes the first book. The gorgeous 200 page coffee table book has photos and stories from around the world's most livable city.

Steam Australia: Locomotives That Galvanised the Nation by Tim Fischer

$39.99 AUD

Category: Australian

If you are passionate about steam locomotives, or know someone who is, then Steam Australia is the perfect companion. Tim Fischer takes readers into the fascinating and grand story of steam transportation over ten vital decades of transformation in Australia's history. This book is so much more than a h istory or a set of lists, it is about the great tapestry of transport weaved by the steam locomotive, and Tim details how the nation was galvanised with economic growth delivered by steam. Fischer tracks key steam locomotives that traversed Australia during critical stages of our nation's development and transported soldiers to fields of conflict as we fought in two world wars. For a century, from 1850 to 1950, steam locomotive haulage dominated Australia's various rail systems and, during that period, rail networks expanded from a few short routes in the big capital cities to huge networks reaching every corner of each state. The book also covers the great named express trains hauled by steam locomotives over the decades: Puffing Billy, Robert Gordon Menzies, The Ghan. Special features include information on Albury's 'break of gauge' platform (where two state track systems met), the Amiens branch line (running through Pozieres and Passchendaele stations in Queensland), the 'garnishee' order against the Spirit of Progress, some important characters such as C.Y. O'Connor and many, many more fascinating topics. ...Show more

Australia the Photographer's Eye 3rd Ed by Nick Rains

$39.99 AUD

Category: Australian

Award-winning photographer Nick Rains travels Australia with his camera, capturing the country's diverse landscapes and many moods. With this third edition, including two brand-new touring regions, outback New South Wales and north-west Tasmania. Australia The Photographer's Eye displays Rains's stunnin g images of over 30 regions around the country. For each region there's also touring information and a map that pinpoints the best spots from which to capture your own images. In the photo tips section at the back of the book, Rains shares his knowledge of photography, discussing the techniques and skills he has gained over many years, and clearly explains how to successfully photograph landscapes from small-detail shots through to panoramas. ...Show more

Paper Emperors: The Rise of Australia's Newspaper Empires by Sally Young

$39.99 AUD

Category: Australian

'A tour de force.' -- Professor Rodney Tiffen Beforenewspapers were ravaged by the digital age, they were a powerful force,especially in Australia -- a country of newspaper giants and kingmakers. Thismagisterial book revealswho owned Australia's newspapers and how they used them to wield politicalpower. A corporateand political history of Australian newspapers spanning 140 years, it explainshow Australia's media system came to be dominated by a handful of empires andpowerful family dynasties. Many are household names, even now: Murdoch,Fairfax, Symes, Packer. Written with verve and insight and showing unparalleledcommand of a vast range of sources, Sally Young shows how newspaper ownersinfluenced policy-making, lobbied and bullied politicians, and shaped internalparty politics. Thebook begins in 1803 with Australia's first newspaper owner -- a convict whobecame a wealthy bank owner -- giving the industry a blend of notoriety, powerand wealth from the start.Throughout the twentieth century, Australians were unaware that they werereading newspapers owned by secret bankrupts and failed land boomers, powerfulmining magnates, Underbelly-style gangsters, bankers, and corporate titans. Itends with the downfall of Menzies in 1941 and his conviction that a handful ofpress barons brought him down. The intervening years are packed with politicaldrama, business machinations and a struggle for readers, all while the newspaper barons are peddling power and influence. ...Show more

Behind the Wheel Photographs from the Australian Road by Ian Kenins

$39.95 AUD

Category: Australian

Photographs of life on and along the Australian road. Includes a foreword and four written essays relating to driving Australian roads.

Welcome to Country: A Travel Guide to Indigenous Australia - Indie Illustrated Non-Fiction Winner 2019 by Marcia Langton

$39.99 AUD

Category: Australian

Marcia Langton: Welcome to Country is a curated guidebook to Indigenous Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. In its pages, respected Elder and author Professor Marcia Langton offers fascinating insights into Indigenous languages and customs, history, native title, art and dance, storytelling, and cultural awareness and etiquette for visitors. There is also a directory of Indigenous tourism experiences, organised by state or territory, covering galleries and festivals, national parks and museums, communities that are open to visitors, as well as tours and performances. This book is essential for anyone travelling around Australia who wants to learn more about the culture that has thrived here for over 50,000 years. It also offers the chance to enjoy tourism opportunities that will show you a different side of this fascinating country -- one that remains dynamic, and is filled with openness and diversity. ...Show more

The Balfour Correspondent by JAMES DRYBURGH

$39.95 AUD

Category: Australian

The Art of Being Melbourne by Maree Coote

$69.50 AUD

Category: Australian

Art meets History in - The Art of Being Melbourne Maree Coote monitors the Melbourne zeitgeist through twenty decades of Art to uncover a truly unique portrait of a city. This clever history follows the developing city through its many representations in Art, revealing much about Melbourne and indeed ab out the cradle of Australian Art itself. The Art of Being Melbourne examines the imaging and the imagining of a city in a fascinating collection that features celebrated and rare artworks by colonial mavericks, impressionist masters, iconic Moderns and young contemporaries, together in a single volume for the first time. Through the eyes of artists we can watch as Melbourne oscillates between Place and Idea. More than simply a study of art or of history, this book is witness to the miraculous metamorphosis of a single location over two centuries, and the parallel invocation of culture and identity. The Art of Being Melbourne is both a record of historic fact and a tour of the existential. Coote argues that while cities exist in a constant state of flux, artists often see things others do not. The osmotic, sometimes forensic, nature of their vision is revelatory and intuitive, homing in on the truth of the times. By linking and connecting images across history, The Art of Being Melbourne informs while it entertains. The Art of Being Melbourne reveals to the reader the very tangible proximity of Melbourne's origins, by enlisting the insights of artists to show us our heritage, our character, our short history and ourselves. Melbourne's remarkable youth, accelerated development and remote perspective offer a unique insight into the creation and ideation of a city. Each image offers a unique portrait of Melbourne, and reveals the original perspective of both its creator and its moment in history. The Art of Being Melbourne includes works by Liardet, Russell, Streeton, Roberts, Beckett, Colahan, Tucker, Blackman, Smart, Amor, Senbergs, Shannon, Arkley, Shag, Miso, Luccio and many others. ...Show more